When messages and personal notes are typed and sent and stored on mobile devices, one couldn’t help but wonder if writing using pen and paper will soon follow in the footsteps of making calls in telephone booths and recording on cassette tapes—no longer practiced.
But today’s young generation has a certain affinity to throwbacks. Reason why despite of the advent and conquest of technology, we still see individuals printing photos using instant films or playing music on turntables.
And before we count writing out, artist and author Abbey Sy leads a legion of young diarists who are starting a revolution of reviving our love of journaling—using actual writing tools, of course—and putting more creative touches to the activity.
“I feel that keeping a journal and writing in analog help slows us down and reminds us that our world does not 100 percent rely on digital or social media,” Abbey said in an interview with Manila Standard.
She furthered, “Personally, in terms of efficiency, I still prefer writing my to-do lists instead of plotting them out on a digital calendar. It’s more tangible that way.”
Today’s innovative and creative breed, however, has a new way of recording their daily experiences. What used to be a simple activity that uses words (sometimes sketches make their way on the pages as well), journaling has become more dynamic and, perhaps, more alive.
A quick scan at the pages of Abbey’s journals will prove that.
The 23-year-old creative entrepreneur’s life is creatively chronicled in her journals—the avenue where her hand-lettering career is said to have started.
“I started journaling at a young age, around 13,” she shared, but added that it was a love-hate relationship. She started with words, moved on to illustrations, and now—10 years later—her journals are an impressive and vivid reminder of her past self, made creatively that they almost look like works of art.
Majority of the pages in her journals are rendered in vibrant and muted colors—something that would remind you of vintage films—using her favorite medium, watercolor. “I really am fascinated with anything retro or vintage, patterned art, and beautifully rendered colors from nature,” said Abbey.
Her diaries are also filled with her typography creations, drawings, sketches, ephemera and, of course, written words that describe her day, current favorites and goals, among others.
It truly is inspiring to start journaling more creatively once you saw Abbey’s work; in her latest book The ABCs of Journaling, published by Summit Books, the artist/entrepreneur encourages individuals to collect moments and record their thoughts on paper in a manner that’s not just creative, but authentic and personal as well.
The 120-page, hardbound book looks almost like a diary, something that Abbey intended, to let the readers feel like they’re holding an actual journal.
In her opening letter, Abbey said, “This book was made to help you unleash your inner creativity through journaling, exploring various ways to record memories, and encouraging you to be more curious about the world around you.”
Abbey’s second book, following her bestseller The ABCs of Hand Lettering, features some of the basic tools you need to start journaling creatively, journaling ideas and different journaling styles, among a couple more other topics.
The book aims to start the readers off on a creative journaling journey, made possible with the use of imagination, and different medium and materials. But Abbey is quick to note, however, that one does need to be good at drawing or painting or typography to be able to artistically chronicle their day-to-day experiences.
“The fun part of journaling is that you can make it any way you want it—doesn’t have to be drawing or writing or painting,” the young artist averred. “You can actually use decorative tapes, stamps and stickers to make your pages dynamic and more interesting.”
In short, “there are lots of ways to make your pages fun to work with.”
Talents and tools aside, Abbey believes that the single most important thing a person must have to start and pursue the habit is to be constantly curious.
“A lot of people tell me that they feel like they have nothing to share on their journal because their day is boring. In my viewpoint, I would say it’s important to stay curious and explore new ways to document your day to make the most out of it,” she said.
The Advertising Management graduate added that curiosity opens one up to various ways of journaling and allows him to explore the world and create something out of it.
At the end of the day, she believes that “the best part of journaling is having to track your progress,” and that a journal is a “reminder that the best part of life is not about where you are going but where you are right now.”
And Abbey Sy has about 50 journals to read whenever she wants to look back to who she was before she became one of the country’s sought-after artists.
The ABCs of Journaling is available in newsstands, bookstores, convenience stores and supermarkets.
Photos courtesy of Abbey Sy
